How a Lack of Diversity in Genetic Research is Holding Us Back

The dawn of genetic testing has allowed scientists to see patients’ entire DNA sequence and identify any changes in that sequence that could cause disease. Genetic testing and sequencing is expected to become commonplace in primary care within the next few years. Genetic screening is also used in oncology and in the context of reproductive […]

My Beef with Dairy: How the US Government Is Bailing out a Dying Industry

The US government’s support for dairy farms exacerbates overproduction and supports an unsustainable, dying industry, wasting billions of taxpayer dollars.  According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), American milk consumption dropped from 275 pounds per capita in 1975 to 149 pounds in 2017. Due to dwindling demand, US dairy farming operates at a […]

Quadratic Voting: A Solution for the Tyranny of the Majority in Democracy

Winston Churchill said, “Democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time,” and here is why: democracy can lead to the tyranny of the majority.  Political scientist Richard McKelvey called this “majoritarian cycling.” Majorities exploiting and oppressing minorities can easily evolve into the rule […]

The 2020 Elections You Need to Care About

If it feels like the 2020 presidential race has dragged on for several years already, that’s because it has. Representative John Delaney broke the record for the earliest candidacy declaration when he announced in July 2017 that he would seek the Democratic nomination. A couple dozen announcements followed throughout the next two years until Michael […]

Designed in China

Innovation is critical for high-tech manufacturing. Firms and governments constantly seek cutting-edge design and advanced manufacturing capabilities to produce the latest consumer goods and machinery. High-tech manufacturers drive economic growth—especially in advanced economies—and enable a country to compete in the global economy. China is seeking to dominate high-tech manufacturing. While China has made massive economic […]

Episode 1: “LGBTQ Rights and the Supreme Court” with Alex Jarecki

Listen and subscribe to our podcast: Via Spotify | Via Apple Podcasts Bryan and Alex sit down to talk about Alex’s article “Legally Sanctioned Discrimination? The Supreme Court Case and LGBT Employees’ Rights”. They discuss the potential rulings and consequences of upcoming Supreme Court cases, mainly the Title VII cases about sex-based employment discrimination against […]

Eschewing Electability: What Democrats Can Draw from the Far-Right Playbook

Talking heads, opinion columnists, and mainstream pundits continually stressed that a Democratic victory in the 2020 presidential election was predicated on a nominee who could appeal to centrist swing voters. Political commentator Thomas Friedman, in a New York Times op-ed, pitched Michael Bloomberg as that candidate—one who could send a message of “national unity, personal […]

Proportional, Not Popular: Reforming the Electoral College

Five times in the history of the United States, the results of the Electoral College and popular vote have differed. In 2000, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore with 543,895 fewer votes. That election thrust the Electoral College into the national spotlight and spurred debate over reform. In 2016, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton despite […]

Bill Who? The Republican Primaries’ Significance in the 2020 Election

Despite President Trump’s approval rating sitting at 44 percent as of March 20, 56 percent of Americans—including 65 percent of independents and 93 percent of Democrats—disapprove of his administration. Even the number of Republicans supporting the president has fallen by two percent since January, when the president’s approval rating peaked at 49 percent.  Yet toppling […]

The Special One? Why Abe Could Defy the Odds and Run for a Fourth Term

The idea of a “rule-breaking” fourth term for the incumbent leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been floating around for some time. Under party rules, the leader “may only serve up to three consecutive terms (nine years).” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will reach that limit in September 2021, fueling rumors as to who […]